Background
The Turkmen president is married, has a son and a daughter.
By the accounts of western diplomats Turkmenbashi transferred to personal foreign accounts not less than 1,5-2 billion dollars. Saparmurat Niyazov is the owner of the unique car: the world famous company presented Turkmenbashi the first and still unique armoured limousine «Mercedes-Benz CL Coupe», developed and assembled specially for him.
Education
After he lost parents early he got to the orphanage. In 1959 after he finished secondary school Saparmurat began to work as the instructor of Turkmen territorial committee of trade and exploration work employees union.
In 1967 he graduated the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute and received a diploma as an electrical engineer. When he already was the president of Turkmenistan he gave 100 000 dollars to this institute underlined the value of education received there in his life.
Career
Since 1967 he was the senior master of the Bezmein GRES of Lenin in Ashkhabad region; since 1970 he was the instructor, the deputy of the Chief of Central Committee of CPT department ( Communist Party of Turkmenia), the instructor of department of party work organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; since 1985 he was the chairman of council of ministers of Turkmen SSR and since December of the same year he was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkmenia; since January, 1990 he was the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR.
After acceptance of declaration «About the state independence of Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic» Saparmurat Niyazov was elected president of the country by national vote (according to official data 98,3 percent of electors voted).
After adoption of the Constitution of the independent state Turkmenistan the president suggested holding a rerun election to bring power in line with the Organic law. On June 21, 1992 the only candidate Saparmurat Niyazov was again elected president of the Republic by the overwhelming majority of electors (99,5 percent of votes was for him).
In the second half of 1993 the Democratic party of Turkmenistan (the former Communist party of Turkmenia) suggested prolonging powers of Saparmurat Niyazov for the second 5-year-old term without holding of reelection in 1997. On January 15, 1994 on the referendum this proposal was adopted unanimously.
Religion
Turkmenbashi recognizes the Koran as the book of covenants for the Turkmen people but at the same time he put near the Koran "Ruhname" also a sacred book on the one level. He impudently uses religion as means of manipulation of people. So, for example, arrived in a village he can tell countrymen that he «cannot keep a rain any more... I can keep it a couple of days that you have time to take in the harvest...».